Garbage can holder



Feb. 16, 1965 a. H. SMITH GARBAGE CAN HOLDER Filed May 29, 1963Attorney:

Gui/fora Houston Smith INVENTOR. BY fin.

new

United States Patent() 3,169,742 GARBAGE CAN HBLDER Guilford HoustonSmith, Lock Drawer 330,

Tuskegee, Ala. Filed May 29, 1963 Ser. No. 284,028 2 Claims. (Cl.243-146) The present invention generally relates to a supporting deviceand more particularly a holder for a garbage can, trash receptacle orthe like.

One of the major problems of the disposal of garbage is the retention ofthe conventional garbage can in a desired location. Various types ofholders and supports have been devised for this purpose with varyingdegrees of success. Accordingly, it is the primary object of the presentinvention to provide a novel and improved garbage can holderincorporating in its construction a groundpenetrating standard having aplurality of radially extending arms having upstanding ends thereon forgrippingly engaging a portion of a garbage can extending upwardly fromthe bottom thereof together with novel means for connecting the arms tothe upper end of the supporting standard or stake.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a garbage canholder which may be easily assembled and disassembled with the componentparts being capable of orientation in a compact manner for ease oftransport in a compact condition thereby reducing the space necessary tostore the garbage holder until it is ready for use and also reducing thesize of package necessary to properly package the garbage can holderwhen it is being transported and before it is used.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide agarbage can holder in which the upwardly extending members which engagethe garbage can are so orientated that they frictionally and resilientlygrip the garbage can with the upper ends thereof being slightlyoutwardly flared to guide the garbage can into the holder forfacilitating the removal and replacement of the garbage can such as isrequired during normal use thereof.

Yet another important object of the present invention is to provide agarbage can holder which will effectively hold a garbage can in positionat an elevated orientation in relation to the ground surface in order topreclude animals such as cats and dogs from dislodging the top of thegarbage can and also dislodging the can itself from the holder therebyretaining the garbage can cover in place for maintaining sanitaryconditions and also enabling the area under the garbage can to be easilycleaned or in the event the standard is orientated in the lawn, the areaof the lawn under the garbage can will not be killed as is the case ifthe garbage can sits directly on the ground surface inasmuch as sunlightand air as well as water can still be received by the grass surroundingthe ground-penetrating stake.

Another very important object of the present invention is to provide agarbage can holder in accordance with the preceding objects having anovel connecting assembly between the vertical ground-penetrating stakeand the plurality of supporting arms which includes a pair of L- shapedangle iron members engaging the cylindrical upper end of the standardtogether with channel bolts securing the depending inner ends of theradial arms to the exterior surfaces of the angle iron members and atthe same time securing the angle iron members to the upper end of thestandard.

Still another feature of the present invention is to provide a garbagecan holder which is extremely simple in construction, yet long lastingand durable in use, effective for holding a garbage can and yetrelatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the garbage can holder of thepresent invention illustrating the manner of use thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the upper endportion of the garbage can holder illustrating orientation of the radialarms and the structure for connecting the arms to the tubular standardor stake; and

FIGURE 3 is a transverse, sectional view, on an enlarged scale, takensubstantially upon a plane passing along section line 33 of FIGURE 1illustrating the details of construction of the connection between theradial arms and the upper end of the standard or stake.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral 19 generallydesignates the garbage can holder of the be in the form of an aluminumconduit or the like impervious to corrosive action of atmosphericconditions and any minerals found in the soil. The lower end of thestandard 12 is beveled as at 14- to provide a groundpenetrating point 16which enables the standard 12 to be easily pushed into or driven intothe ground surface 18 a sufiicient distance to support the garbage canholder 10. When the standard 12 is disposed in the ground surface 18,the upper end thereof will be spaced above the ground surface to enablegrass or other plants 20 to grow around the standard 12 in the mannerillustrated in FIGURE 1. i

A garbage can holding and gripping assembly generally designated by thenumeral 22 is attached to the upper end of the standard 12 and includesa plurality of identical radially extending arms each generallydesignated by numeral 24 and each including a horizontally disposedradially extending portion 26 and an upstanding portion 28 at the outerend of the radial horizontal portion 26. The upstanding portion 28 maybe vertical or inclined slightly inwardly with the upper end thereofhaving an outwardly flared portion 34) for guiding the lower end of agarbage can 32 into the spacedefined by the upstanding portions 28 ofthe arms 24. Thus, as the garbage can 32 is forced downwardly into thespace defined by the upstanding portions 28 of the arms 24, theupstanding portions 28 will be deflected outwardly slightly forfrictionally resiliently gripping the peripheral wall of the garbage can32 whereby the upstanding portions 28 generally conform with the shapeand configuration of the lower end of the garbage can 32 as illustratedin FIGURE 1.

Also, the inner end of each horizontal portion 26 is provided with adepending attaching portion 34 which is in perpendicular relation to thehorizontal radial portion 26. The depending attaching portions 34 areparallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular standard or stake 12and are attached thereto so that the horizontal portions 26 extendoutwardly in perpendicular relation to an adjacent portion 26.

The details of the connection between the arms 24 and the standard 12 isillustrated in FIGURE 3 and is generally designated by numeral 36. Theconnection 36 includes a pair of angle iron members 38 and .40 which areof equal size and have flanges of equal dimensions. The angle ironmembers 33 and 40 enclose the upper end of the tubular standard 12 inthe manner illustrated in FIG- least, to any great degree.

URE 3' thus forming a substantially square upper end for the tubularmember. 12. The depending attaching portions 34 are disposed against theexterior surface of each of the flanges of each of the angle ironmembers 38 and 4t) and the entire assembly is maintained in assembledrelation by a pair of channel bolts 42 having a bight portion 44engaging the exterior surface of one' of the depending attachingportions 34 and having a pair of legs 46 extending'through the dependingattaching portions '34, the flange of the angle .iron member 38, throughthe' tubular member 12,;a flange of the angle iron merrber 4i and theopposite depending attaching portion as as The free ends of the legs 46villustrated in FIGURE 3. are externally threaded as at 48 and receiveretaining nuts Si) having lock washers 52 of conventional con- When thecomponents are assembled, the upper snr-' face of the radial horizontalportions 26 will be substantially flush with the upper ends of thetubular member 12 and angle iron members 38 and 113 although they mayextend slightly above these edges to assure that the can 32 willeiiectively rest on the horizontal portions of the arms 24. If thestandard 12 is constructed ofa relatively lightweight tubular aluminummember, then the angle iron members 33 and 4-6 serve to reinforce theupper end thereof in the event a hammer or other impact implement has tobe employed for driving the standard or stake which may also beconsidered a spike into the ground surface. Also, the present inventionenables the arms 24 to be oriented in a nested relationship whendetached from the upper end of the standard so that the entire assemblymaybe shipped or transported in knocked down condition. Also, thedetachable engagement of the arms 24 with the standard enables armshaving different dimensional characteristics to be employed with thesame standard in the event a different sized container is to besupported in the device. While the dimensions of the device may vary anddo not limit the present invention, a practical embodiment of theinvention has been one in which the over-all length is 42 inches so thatwhen the ground-penetrating stake 12 is inserted into the ground,

. the garbage can 32 will be orientated with the top thereof at aconvenient height so that a person depositing material in the garbagecan will not have to bend over, at i The standard .12 may be inchesinlength and the diameter of the space encompassed by the verticalportions 28 of the arms 24 may be 15 inches in diameter which is thestandard diameter of a conventional garbage can. The holder assembly 22may be approximately 12 inches in height and the. depending attachingportions 34 may be 3 inches in length as are the angle irons. The abovementioned dimensions are not considered limitative in that otherdimensions may be employed depending upon the size of the container tobe supported.

As an alternative structure, the standard 12 may be square incross-sectional configuration thereby elif'ninating the use of the angleirons since the depending portions 34 may then be mounted directlyagainst the sides of the hollow square upright standard by using thebolts 42.

' The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those s eaves;

' skilled at the an, it is not scribed, and accordingly all suitablemodifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within thescope of theinventionasclaimed. e f What is claimed as new is asfollows:l. A garbage can'holder "comprising anupright stand ard havingground-penetratingmeans on the lower end thereof, a garbage can holdingassembly, and means connecting the garbage can holding-assembly to theupper end of the standard, said garbage can holding assemblyincludingaplurality of radially disposed resilient arms,

means securing the inner ends of the arms'to the standard, each of saidarms including anupstanding portion and a radially extending horizontalportion integral therewith with the horizontal portions adapted tosupport the bottom of a garbage can and the upstanding portions adaptedto frictionally resiliently engage the peripheral wall thereof forsecurely and detachably retaining the garbage can in position on theholder, said means connecting the arms to the'upper end of thestandardincluding a depending attaching portion on the inner end of a eachhorizontal portion of the arms, said depending attaching portions'beingdisposed in parallelrelation to the longitudinal axis of the standard,andfastening means extending through the attaching portions and thestandard for'detachabiy securing the arms to the standard, a pair ofangle iron members interposed betweenthe standard and the attachingportions, said standard having a cylindrical external peripheral surfaceengaging the inner surfaces of the flanges of the angle iron memberswith the attaching portions engaging the outer surfaces of the angleiron members, said fastening means including a pair of perpendicularlyarranged channel bolts staggered in relation to each other extendingthrough the attaching portions, the angle irons and the standard forsecurely orientating the components in assembled relationship.

2. in a garbage can holder, connecting means for con- 7 necting acylindrical standard to a plurality of radial arms at the upper end ofthe standard comprising a pair of angle iron members orientated indiametrically opposed relation on the standard with the inner surfacesof the flanges engaging the standard at points spaced around theperiphery. of the standard thereby forming substan: tially a squareenclosure for the standard, bolts extending through the opposed flangesof the opposed angle iron members with the bolts being disposed inperpendicular relation to each other thereby assembling the components,said bolts securing depending attaching portions of the radial arms tothe outer surfaces of the flanges of the angle iron members.

1 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS CLAUDE A. LERev, Primary Examiner.

I desired to limit theinvention to the exact construction and'operation'shownand de-

1. A GARBAGE CAN HOLDER COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT STANDARD HAVINGGROUND-PENETRATING MEANS ON THE LOWER END THEREOF, A GARBAGE CAN HOLDINGASSEMBLY, AND MEANS CONNECTING THE GARBAGE CAN HOLDING ASSEMBLY TO THEUPPER END OF THE STANDARD, SAID GARBAGE CAN HOLDING ASSEMBLY INCLUDING APLURALITY OF RADIALLY DISPOSED RESILIENT ARMS, MEANS SECURING THE INNERENDS OF THE ARMS TO THE STANDARD, EACH OF SAID ARMS INCLUDING ANUPSTANDING PORTION AND A RADIALLY EXTENDING HORIZONTAL PORTION INTEGRALTHEREWITH WITH THE HORIZONTAL PORTIONS ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE BOTTOM OFA GARBAGE CAN AND THE UPSTANDING PORTIONS ADAPTED TO FRICTIONALLYRESILIENTLY ENGAGE THE PERIPHERAL WALL THEREOF FOR SECURELY ANDDETACHABLY RETAINING THE GARBAGE CAN IN POSITION ON THE HOLDER, SAIDMEANS CONNECTING THE ARMS TO THE UPPER END OF THE STANDARD INCLUDING ADEPENDING ATTACHING PORTION ON THE INNER END OF EACH HORIZONTAL PORTIONOF THE ARMS, SAID DEPENDING ATTACHING PORTIONS BEING DISPOSED INPARALLEL RELATION TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE STANDARD, ANDFASTENING MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH THE ATTACHING PORTIONS AND THESTANDARD FOR DETACHABLY SECURING THE ARMS TO THE STANDARD, A PAIR OFANGLE IRON MEMBERS INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE STANDARD AND THE ATTACHINGPORTIONS, SAID STANDARD HAVING A CYLINDRICAL EXTERNAL PERIPHERAL SURFACEENGAGING THE INNER SURFACES OF THE FLANGES OF THE ANGLE IRON MEMBERSWITH THE ATTACHING PORTIONS ENGAGING THE OUTER SURFACES OF THE ANGLEIRON MEMBERS, SAID FASTENING MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF PERPENDICULARLYARRANGED CHANNEL BOLTS STAGGERED IN RELATION TO EACH OTHER EXTENDINGTHROUGH THE ATTACHING PORTIONS, THE ANGLE IRONS AND THE STANDARD FORSECURELY ORIENTATING THE COMPONENTS IN ASSEMBLED RELATIONSHIP.